Sweet, Sweet Failure
by bunnydakillr
Summary: Lelouch awakens to find that the Zero Requiem has failed. What will he do to rectify the situation?
1. The Price of Failure

**My first fan fiction. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Code Geass, nor could I ever even dream to do so.**

Lelouch weakly opened his eyes. They moved slowly, like great stone slabs which had not been so much as shifted for centuries. However, when the sheer reality of that fact hit him, he was anything but weak. If he had opened his eyes, that meant he was alive. If he was alive, then the master plan – the Zero Requiem – which he had devoted almost two years of his life to had failed. Though he had experienced failure many times before in his life, and sometimes on a quite colossal scale, this trumped everything. The Zero Requiem was the one plan that could absolutely not fail, and as Lelouch pondered the consequences of his current existence, he was filled with horror.

In a fit of worry, he struggled to rise from the bed he was on; he had no idea where he was, complicating things further. However, an indescribably sharp pain radiated throughout his entire midsection, though he could feel no wound when he mustered the strength to lift an arm and check himself. He was stuck where he was for the moment. Seeing this, he decided to try to make sense of the situation by using the only weapon he had at hand – his brain. In his mind, he ran through every single possibility to account for why he was alive and how he got to this strange place.

He began by going over his master plan a few more times, an exercise he had performed countless times before his death was supposed to occur. Was there something he had overlooked? Some task he had forgotten to complete? No, the plan was solid, much to his credit. Suzaku had definitely stabbed him on that fateful day, the piercing pain in his torso was evidence enough of that. Yet why was there no trace of the massive wound he had been dealt? Had his body been stolen, treated, and resuscitated? As of yet, that was the only explanation that even began to make sense to Lelouch. And yet, even that theory had some major holes in it. He took a moment to survey his surroundings.

He was in some sort of shack, entirely made of wood. Other than the simple bed he was lying on, there were no furnishings, save for a few windows. Beyond the tiny room he was in, he could see a doorway, presumably leading outside, and a small kitchen beyond that. It reminded him of the abandoned storeroom near the Kururugi shrine that he and Nunnally had once lived in, only much smaller. So, he obviously was not in a hospital. The powerful, unobstructed light that bled through the spaces between the curtains and the windows suggested that he wasn't in a major city, further discounting the hospital theory. Lelouch closed his eyes. This brainstorming session was getting him nowhere, and was raising more questions rather than producing the answers he sought. Frustrated, he continued searching the abode for something, anything that would allow him to escape. He had to find some way to undo this massive failure, he had to –

"So, you're awake then."

Lelouch froze, his eyes widened. He knew that voice anywhere. It belonged to the woman that had driven the events of his life for the past two years. She was his accomplice, his guardian, his witch. He turned toward the source of the noise, and sure enough, there she was, sitting on a simple wooden chair, her long green hair flowing down the back. She had been sitting so still, he hadn't even noticed her. C.C. She was different somehow, and not because she wasn't wearing her traditional white jumpsuit. Instead, she wore a long red skirt, a white blouse and a black vest. But no, that wasn't it. Something about her made her seem far more human than he remembered, though he couldn't quite place his finger on it. However, he ignored these thoughts for the time being; there were questions to be answered.

"Where am I and why the _HELL_ am I still alive?!" he demanded.

She found his demands charming. Same old Lelouch. Always wanting to be the one giving out orders, always wanting to be in control of the situation. She got up, knelt beside him and held his hand.

"Calm down. We're in the most secluded area of Japan. There's absolutely no chance of anyone finding us here."

Lelouch propped himself up slightly and lifted the shades on the closest window. As he had thought, they were indeed nowhere near any sort of metropolis. Outside was a hundred meter radius worth of circular landscape, then a solid wall of trees; the thickest forest he had ever seen. He saw no other houses, people, or even animals nearby. So, her story seemed to check out. He calmed down slightly. There was still a chance no one other than C.C. knew he was alive. But again…how?

"As for your other question…well, the answer lies within your grasp. Literally," she said, nodding towards his hand.

He pried it free of her clutches and examined his right palm. There, etched into his skin as if he were a mere dairy cow, was the unmistakable symbol of geass. It was a code. His father's code to be precise. In his mind, Lelouch flashed back to a day several months earlier. He, his mother and father, Suzaku, and C.C. were all in C's world. He had just ensured that the flow of time would keep moving forward, foiling his father's plan and causing his slow disintegration in the process. In a final, desperate act of defiance, his father had attempted to choke him, though he failed outright. However, in the worst kind of irony, that final desperate act had now come back to foil Lelouch's plans in return. His father had unknowingly and unwillingly transmitted his code to Lelouch with his final act, granting his son immortality in the process and ultimately poking a major hole in the Zero Requiem, which required his death.

Lelouch was suddenly filled with worry once more.

"How can you be so calm about this? Don't you have any idea of the consequences if anyone discovers that I'm still alive? If the world finds out that their peace is a sham, it'll be an irrevocable leap into the past – no different than if Charles had prevailed with his plan! It will be an even worse world than the one Schneizel sought to create! War and poverty will run even more rampant than before and – "

At that moment, she seized and kissed him. Lelouch was so surprised he almost didn't stop ranting. And it was more passionate than any kiss he had shared with Kallen, or even Shirley. After what seemed like an eternity, she pulled away.

"You silly boy," she said, "did you really expect that I would just let you be discovered? After all, you still have yet to fulfill your contract with me."

"What are you talking about...you no longer have your code. You can die, just like you always wanted," he said.

She laughed. Lelouch was enchanted by it. He had never heard her laugh before, yet here she was, clearly amused. And it was the most beautiful laugh he had ever heard. Had the loss of her code really made her this much more human? Lelouch had thought such a dramatic change in her impossible.

"Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about. You were the one who begged me to continue living and told me 'I know what you really want!' back in C's world, remember? Although, I'll admit that even I wasn't entirely sure what it was at the time."

Lelouch thought for a minute. He had buried that event deep in the back of his mind. Vaguely, he remembered how C.C. had placed him in her memories so as not to interfere with her death. He recalled how she had been given a geass power as well – the ability to make anyone instantly fall in love with her. That was it. She had grown bored with all the false gifts and proposals. She wanted something more.

She kissed him again.

"True love" they both said.

She stood and walked towards the kitchen, calling "I'm not letting you leave until you fulfill your end of the deal," as she left.

Lelouch leaned back, smiled, and closed his eyes again. Alright then. C.C. had been his guardian and his accomplice for so long; he knew he could trust her. And he was surprised to find himself quite aroused by her new, much more human persona. So, he would stay here. For all eternity, even after she inevitably died while he continued to live on.

After all, she was his witch. He was her warlock.

**Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed it. Comments are very welcome. Thanks for reading.**

**Also, if there's a place on this site where X-rated material is allowed, kindly direct me to it, as I have some excellent ideas for a very steamy sequel ;].**


	2. A New Kind of Nightmare

**Important A/N (Please Read!): Thank you all who have read and reviewed this. I had no idea it would by liked at all, let alone favorited by some. Anyway, after several brainstorming sessions, I have hatched an idea and decided to continue the story a bit more. This first addition will be shorter, just to give you guys an idea of the direction I'm going in. As Cecile would say, "Just a starting point."**

**If you haven't already, go ahead and read the M-rated sequel "The Witch and the Warlock" (provided, of course, you aren't of the young and innocent persuasion). This first addition takes place immediately after that, so you may want to read it first. With that, I won't stall you any longer. Enjoy!**

* * *

Lelouch stood, wiping the sweat off his brow with the back of a gloved hand. He gazed at the sky over his field, lost in thought. In a beautiful moment of realization, he knew he was happy for once. He could think of no other time in his life that he had been as happy as he was now, living with C.C. away from the rest of the world. He had nothing more to worry about – no wars, no plots for world domination, not even geass. He marveled at the immense contrast between his life now and his life several months ago. Less than a year ago, he had been the most hated individual on earth, now he was arguably the happiest one on the planet. However, his thoughts were interrupted by a female voice from behind him.

"Umm…excuse me! Can you help us?"

Lelouch froze. This place was supposed to be unreachable by anyone else besides him or C.C. And worse, he thought he recognized the voice.

_Impossible. It couldn't be her, she's dead._

However, knowing that he was supposed to be dead as well, he felt it necessary to make sure. Turning his head ever so slightly, he peered over his shoulder. A flash of orange hair, the worried-looking green eyes. Shirley. There she was, standing at the edge of the forest, right where his field began. She looked somewhat scuffed up, as if she had been wandering through the forest for several days.

His mind was reeling. He struggled to think through the mental fog he was in and find an explanation, a way out, anything. But before he could even begin to make sense of the situation another, even more disturbingly familiar voice came from behind Shirley.

"Shirley! There you are! Have you found anything yet?" asked Euphemia, stepping out of the brush. Lelouch turned around completely. He had to be seeing things.

_What the hell is going on?!_

He couldn't think straight anymore. Instead he mentally flashed back to the deaths of the two girls now standing before him. Deaths he had caused. However, the next person to step forward caused his mind to cease all thought completely.

Marianne parted the branches in front of her and stepped forward. "Have you two found a way out yet?"

"Not yet, but I was just about to ask this guy to see if he knows," said Shirley. She turned toward Lelouch. "Hey mister, we're trying to find the guy that killed us, do you happen to know where he is? His name is Lelouch vi Britannia."

Lelouch sank to his knees, clutched his head, and screamed skyward.

…

Lelouch bolted upright, drenched in sweat, gasping like a fish out of water. A damp spot had formed on the mattress where he had just been lying. Desperately, he glanced back and forth, confirming he was back in reality. C.C. still lay next to him. He clutched his forehead with both palms and let out a burdened sigh of relief. It was only a dream; a nightmare. He couldn't help but smirk as he realized the irony of that fact. In the brief time he had lived as Zero, he had slaughtered thousands of Knightmares and not so much as blinked when they turned to attack him. Now, he had been trampled by just one of the dreams after which they were named. Perhaps that was because until now, he had rarely been afforded the luxury of sleep, and therefore even more rarely experienced any kind of dream. He leaned over towards the window, pulled one of the curtains aside and peered out. It was still dark, but he could just barely make out the reddish, pinkish hues of dawn beginning to crawl over the peaks in the distance. Closing his eyes, he attempted to find the meaning of what he had just been through, grateful that his mind was working once more, at least to a degree.

…

The next day, Lelouch was incredibly distraught. As he worked outside, he jumped at every falling branch, every chirping bird. He was absolutely terrified that what had transpired in his nightmare the previous night would come to pass. Thankfully, it didn't, but he remained quiet throughout his dinner with C.C. Sensing that something was wrong, she probed him for answers.

"What's wrong Lelouch? You've been out of it all day." Relenting, he confided in her and told her of his dream the previous night. She took him into a comforting embrace.

"Oh Lelouch, it was only a dream."

"You don't understand. It wasn't the dream that rattled me, it was the realization brought about by that dream." She gave him a puzzled look, so he continued in his explanation. "Don't you see? I'm happy. That's the problem. I'm the demon that destroyed the world, and how was I punished? With an eternal life of happiness. My death was supposed to be the world's revenge against me as well as my own penance for all my sins. Instead, it became a catalyst to my own selfish escapism." She laughed uproariously, angering him slightly. When she regained herself, she attempted to comfort him further.

"Lelouch, are you really so obsessed with the idea of fairness that you would torture yourself for the rest of eternity? So what if you're happy? Be happy then! This place isn't the rest of the world, so forget about it! No one else thinks like you do, Lelouch." He thought about it for a minute, then suddenly, inspiration hit him like a ton of bricks.

"No. There is another person who shares my predicament. He can help me find a suitable punishment for myself." She started to object, but he cut her off. "I need you to take a message to Zero for me."


	3. 0 x 0

"Why must I go?" C.C. pouted as Lelouch handed her a folded slip of paper.

"You know I can't risk leaving here. If I'm caught, the consequences will be too great. Besides, even if I somehow managed to get past their security while remaining anonymous, who do you think Suzaku would most likely listen to? A mysterious farmer who refuses to reveal his identity, or someone he knows?"

That didn't seem to make C.C. any happier about her task, but she remained silent.

"Besides, it's not like I'm sending you without any provisions," Lelouch said as he reached for a folded bundle. He handed this to C.C. as well. She looked puzzled at first, but when she felt the warmth and smelt the pleasant aroma emanating from the bundle, she could guess what it was. She unwrapped it slightly, and sure enough, there was another homemade pizza. Suddenly, a trivial but prudent thought occurred to her. "How am I supposed to get there exactly? We don't even know where _we_ are let alone them."

Lelouch simply smiled. "Don't worry, I've planned that out as well," he said, beckoning her to follow him. One of the first things he had done when he found himself in their little world of seclusion was to construct a crude astrolabe to get a rough idea of where they were. He knew it was rather pointless, and he had decided against telling C.C., but lo and behold, the information was now becoming useful. As it turned out, they were much closer to the Tokyo settlement than he had thought. He stopped by the small river near their home, where he had constructed a simple raft. "Just let the current take you downstream until you reach the end of the river. From there, it's only a short walk to the settlement. You should be able to see some of the buildings by the time you get that far so don't worry about direction. When you're done, just follow the river back upstream."

C.C. simply sighed. She could see his mind was made up, and there was no convincing him otherwise. They said their farewells, and she was off.

…..

Zero flew low over the treetops, nearly skimming the peaks of several of the taller ones. Inside the cockpit, Suzaku glanced at the readouts from beneath his helmet. Earlier that morning, he had commandeered a Sutherland equipped with a float system and was now flying towards his destination. He had wanted to be as inconspicuous as possible. His mind raced, struggling to comprehend who would contact him through C.C. and why. Thousands of scenarios played out in his head, but none of them made enough sense. Could it be a new accomplice of hers? Or perhaps remnants of the Black Knights were going to attempt something and sought Zero's leadership to aid them. He sighed and refocused himself on flying. He would get his answers soon enough, he hoped.

…

_The Day Before_

"Master Zero, there's a girl here to see you. She says she knows you and that it's important."

Suzaku thought for a second, wondering who it could be, then consented. "Very well, send her in." The last person he expected was C.C. She walked into his office, presented him with a folded piece of paper in a seemingly annoyed manner, and then left before he could so much as speak. It took him several seconds to recover. Once he did, he unfolded the note and read it:

_Zero:_

_Latitude 36N. Longitude 138E. 0600 Hours. Tomorrow. Come alone._

…

Consulting his instruments again, Suzaku saw he was nearing his destination. He found a suitable clearing a few miles away, landed the Sutherland, and got out. He walked for the remainder of his journey, relying on his handheld GPS for guidance. However, what he came upon was nowhere near what he had expected. He saw a figure dressed head to toe in long, white robes and a large wide-brimmed straw hat. Its back was turned to him, as it was apparently preoccupied with skipping stones across the river it was standing in front of.

"So, you came," Lelouch said, trying his best to disguise his voice. Apparently, it worked, as Suzaku made no immediate reaction to suggest otherwise. He began walking upstream and beckoned Zero to follow him. Seeing little point in doing anything else, he obeyed. They walked on in silence for what seemed like an eternity, until finally, the mysterious man – at least, Suzaku assumed it was a man since it had a male voice – halted by a small pond. Again, he addressed Suzaku without turning around.

"You and I are much alike, Zero. We both conceal our true identities because they are those of dead men." That worried Suzaku and confused him even more. This man knew who he was? At the very least, he was glad the man couldn't see his face, as it was now painted with a mixture of confusion, fear, and inquisitiveness. Finally turning to face him, the man continued. "We are both cursed to live out are lives though we yearn for the comfort and penance of death." That sent Suzaku's mind spinning. He couldn't even register what the man had just said. However, as it turned out, he didn't need to.

Lelouch raised his head so Suzaku could see only his eyes. Then, after looking back and forth a few times to make absolutely certain no one else was around, he removed his hat and the cloth covering his face.

"Lelouch?!!" Suzaku was stunned. It had to be an illusion. He removed his mask so he could look upon what appeared to be his old friend with his own eyes. It was him alright. Suzaku sank to his knees and then fell over into a seated position in pure, utter shock. Lelouch smiled, sat next to him, and began to explain everything, as he saw it would be quite awhile before Suzaku would remember that he had vocal cords. He explained how he had inadvertently acquired his father's code, leading to the failure of the Zero Requiem. Then he described how he had been living with C.C. in their closed-off world, and how he was happier than ever before. A more solemn look coming upon his face, he finished by describing his dream to Suzaku, and how he wasn't content to keep living like this. He desired to pay for his sins, avenge those he had killed, and he begged Suzaku to help him find away.

Suzaku could barely comprehend it all, and his mind was reeling even more than it had been earlier. Somehow, though, he managed to find his voice. He still wasn't thinking entirely straight, so he said the only thing that he could blurt out. "Trade places with me. Become Zero once more. Now that the world is at peace, you won't have to command troops or send people to their deaths. Instead you'd command political discussions. Besides, I can't imitate you as Zero at all. Everyone had noticed how far more lethargic and less passionate the new Zero is. I can't keep up the charade much longer." Lelouch took all this in. He had never even considered such a path. He had abandoned the mask long ago, as it only brought death and destruction in its wake. Yet what Suzaku had said was intriguing nonetheless. Zero as a political figure rather than a destroyer of worlds…

Seeing Lelouch lost in thought, Suzaku decided to throw in one last argument to seal the deal, one he knew Lelouch couldn't resist. "Nunally has been so distraught since your supposed death. She can barely keep herself together while she's on camera. And in private, she weeps more often than not. Over you, Lelouch. And on top of everything, she's been shoved into a position of political power, even though everyone knows she's not cut out for it. The people are confident that under her rule, the world will splinter once more within a matter of years. She needs your advice Lelouch; she needs you. Go to her."

And with that, he handed the helmet to Lelouch, face forward, the same way he had when he told Suzaku to kill him. The torch was changing hands once more. Lelouch however, was still struck by his words. He mentally cursed Suzaku for knowing that talking about Nunally would draw him in. Briefly, he considered what the bigger sin would be: dying in her arms, or revealing himself to her after that death only to tell her that they could never be together again. Finally, he relented and took the mask. "Fine." Suzaku grinned. "But this is not a permanent switch. You still have your contract with me, Suzaku."

Suzaku pointed him in the direction of the Sutherland he had flown in on. Lelouch guided him towards the small shack where he and C.C. Then they parted, and Lelouch was on his way.

_Nunally, we'll be reunited at last. For real, this time._


	4. Audience With an Empress

Lelouch strode elegantly down the hallway in the government bureau of Britannia's new capital. Upon arriving at the Britannian embassy in Japan, he learned that Nunnally had departed shortly beforehand and returned to the homeland. As Zero, her right-hand man, it was easy to acquire the transportation necessary to follow her. He detested wearing Zero's costume once again, but it was necessary. Though the mask was fairly light physically, he may as well have been strapping a cinder block to his face, emotionally. Eventually, he came upon his destination: the door leading into Nunnally's office. He paused for a moment, collecting himself. Then, he drew a deep breath and entered the room.

As he suspected, he was not the only one in the room. There were a number f advisors milling about; a few carrying stacks of papers and folders. In the corner he spotted Jeremiah Gottwald. He had expected to see him as well. His zealous loyalty to Lady Marianne – and by extension, her children – meant that he would guard Nunnally with his life. Lelouch was grateful for that, and was now glad that he had never told Orange boy the truth about Marianne. However, straight ahead of him was the real object of interest, sitting in a wheelchair behind a small desk.

_Nunnally..._

She looked like she had been through hell and back. Her long hair was unkempt, she had dark crescents under her eyelids, and her eyes were somewhat reddish, as if she had been crying heavily a short time ago. At the moment she was hunched over some paperwork, consulting with two advisors at her side as she did so. Eventually, she looked up and saw him.

"Oh, Zero. You've returned. I trust your flight was enjoyable?" she said.

"Empress Nunnally. Might I have a word with you in private?" he responded in the same flat, emotionless tone he always used as Zero. He cringed as he recalled how many deaths that voice had caused. In reality, it was all part of his act. Beneath the mask, he was overwhelmed by a mixture of emotions. However, he couldn't tell which had a greater grip on him: the pain of seeing her in such a distraught state, or the pure joy of seeing her at all.

She looked slightly annoyed at his request, but then nodded. "Alright." He wheeled her into an adjacent room, and she ushered all its occupants out upon their entry. Lelouch shut and locked the door after the final person had left. Then he proceeded to draw all curtains in the room and make absolutely sure they would be seen by no one. Nunnally broke the silence, again seeming somewhat annoyed. "What is it Suzaku? Can we make this quick? The meeting with the UFN leaders is going to begin shortly and I still have no idea how I'm going to deal with them." As she was finishing, Lelouch began to remove his mask. "It's been a long time, little sister."

She gasped. The last time they had been "reunited," they were enemies, and she had told him she was willing to kill him. Now, it was as if she were seeing him for the first time. Lelouch watched as a sea of emotions played across her face: shock, surprise, fear, and finally unrestricted joy. She broke down, buried her face in his stomach, wrapped her arms around him and wept. Part of her thought she had to be asleep for such a miracle to be possible, but if she was, she didn't care. She would rather endure endless sleep, if this was the reality she faced, than wake up to the world of stress she now lived in. "Oh big brother," her muffled words came to him, "is it really you?" she asked, trying to determine if this indeed was reality. He placed a comforting, gloved hand on the top of her head.

"Yes, Nunnally. It's all over, I've ended it all. I've made the world a gentler place, just as you wished. We can finally be together without fear." She clutched him even harder and wept even more freely. He knew he was lying to her again. They obviously couldn't be together. After all, he was dead, and she knew that as well. But he couldn't help himself. He wanted to revel in the moment just as much as she did. He would tell her later, after things had been set straight, and he had found his punishment.

…

"Lelouch, I'm back!" C.C. called as she entered the house. However, when she saw who occupied the house, she froze.

"C.C.? So this is where you guys have been hiding," Suzaku said.

"Suzaku…where's Lelouch?"

Suzaku sighed. "He went after Nunnally, so he's probably in the capital by now…Hey wait!"

She was already gone. He sighed again and reclined back in his chair. He was beginning to sympathize with Lelouch, condemned to an eternity of solitude. Suzaku couldn't even stand it for a few days, let alone eternity. At least as Zero he could still interact with people. He had gained a whole new respect for the sacrifices his old friend had made.

…

"We should disarm. Zero's actions have caused an outbreak of peace throughout the world! We have no more need for weapons," said Ohgi.

"True, but you never know when an extremist faction may arise and disturb the peace. You of all people should know that!" countered Xingke.

They were debating the topic that had been threatening to cause the world to split once more: whether or not the world should disarm and disband its armies. Besides Xingke and Ohgi, Nunnally, Zero, Tohdoh, and a slew of other representatives from the UFN and Britannia sat at a large round table.

Now, Tohdoh spoke up. "Zero, do you have anything to add to this?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact I do," said Lelouch from behind the mask. "There is a way to keep the world's armies intact while at the same time removing all hostile intentions." Everyone at the table, including Nunnally, gave him a blank stare. "Go on," encouraged Tohdoh.

"Deploy them to the civic sector. Strip all Knightmares of their weaponry and employ them in maintenance or emergency services. Hell, even the Knight police could probably use a few extra units. Think of how useful they would be in construction or firefighting; things of that nature. And this way, should the need arise – and you correctly surmised that it shouldn't, Ohgi – they can easily be recalled and refit for war."

The entire table simply gaped at him in amazement, until slowly, they began to agree. Eventually it became unanimous and the discussion was able to move forward onto more peaceful matters. As they were adjourning, Ohgi clasped a hand onto Lelouch's shoulder. "Thank you, Zero. You may well have just saved the world yet again."

…

After the meeting they returned to Nunnally's quarters, where she had asked to be left alone again, so she and Lelouch could be together. Again, they both knew this reunion couldn't last, but they enjoyed procrastinating on their eventual separation. They reminisced about Ashford and friends long gone. They laughed and enjoyed themselves. Once again, Lelouch felt the creeping sensation as his conscience screamed at him for enjoying himself when he should be enduring punishment. Before he could react, however, the last person he expected to see rudely burst into the room as she so often did.

"Miss C.C.!" cried Nunnally. Lelouch was absolutely speechless, a fact made more significant when C.C. joined him on the couch he sat upon and kissed him. When he finally regained himself, he spoke: "what are you doing here?"

"I still have my end of the contract after all; I'll always be by your side." She said. "Not exactly the easiest task in the world, since you're always doing reckless, idiotic things like this."

Nunnally laughed with glee, probably for the first time in almost a year. Lelouch was reduced to speechlessness once more, but he was still happy. The three were together again, just like old times.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for the continued support all. Hope you've been enjoying the expanded story thus far. I have plans for on more chapter so stay tuned!**


	5. Atonement

"Announcing her royal highness, the empress of Britannia!"

Lelouch wheeled Nunnally forward and stopped her behind the small podium that was set up. A crowd of thousands stood before them below the stage they were on, and millions more were watching intently at home via their television sets. Lelouch returned to the line of guards standing behind her as she began her speech. He couldn't help but feel immensely proud of her. As Zero, he had of course addressed such masses as well in fervent speeches. And now, Nunnally was doing much the same thing, only at an even earlier age.

C.C. stood by his side, as indeed she always had, and he was certain that Orange was lurking around somewhere in the shadows.

"…With the help of Zero, we were able to reach a peaceful agreement with the UFN representatives."

Beneath his mask, Lelouch smiled as the people began chanting. "Zero! Zero! Zero!" Though similar chants of his alias' name were often preceded by horrible personal tragedy, this time Lelouch was glad. They were cheering for him because he had prevented war, rather than because he had declared it. Still, in the back of his mind, he couldn't shake a foreboding sense that something terrible would soon happen. However, he simply dismissed it as bad memories from the past and refocused his attention on the present.

…

Nunnally finished her speech and another cheer went up from the crowd. Once again, Lelouch was immensely proud of her. At the same time, the strange, foreboding feeling from before returned to him. He looked around. There! In his peripheral vision he saw a shadowy figure hiding in the corner of the stage. It reached for something on its belt. It unholstered a pistol and charged straight for Nunnally.

Time slowed to nearly a standstill for Lelouch, yet his mind raced. He tried to figure out a way he could stop this mysterious figure, but it was no use. There was no way he could reach Nunnally in time. He began moving anyway. There had to be something he could do. The figure was getting closer and closer; Lelouch wasn't going to make it. "NUNNALLY!"

She turned and saw what was approaching her. The crowd silenced itself. Then, just as suddenly as it had slowed, time suddenly tripled in speed from Lelouch's perspective. He couldn't even see all the action in its entirety. All he could see was a flash of green, followed shortly by a loud _bang_ and then a gasp from the crowd.

C.C. hit the floor. Blood began to pool under her.

By the time she did, all the guards – including Orange boy – were on top of the assailant, wrestling the gun free from its hand. Lelouch was frozen by shock. His mind was just barely catching up with what had just transpired in what couldn't have been more than a few seconds. He rushed over and knelt by C.C. Her eyes were closed, and the pool of blood underneath her was growing with each passing moment. He had seen her shot many times, sometimes with multiple rounds at once. Sure, those times had been painful for him, but since she was immortal, he had never wept for her. He knew she would always come back. But now, with that trait absent from her, this one bullet tore open his heart, which was already slashed and mangled by previous tragedies, anew.

"Lelouch…"

He grabbed her hand as she opened her eyes. He opened the panels on his helmet so she could look into his eyes, where tears were already beginning to pool. Seeing this, she spoke to him again, so quietly he could barely hear her.

"Lelouch, don't cry for me. You've fulfilled your promise." He couldn't even begin to understand what she meant, and doubted he could even if he were in a better state of mind. She continued. "Just as you promised, I can finally die…" she forced a weak smile "…with a smile." He whispered her full name. She faded, and her hand fell out of his.

He closed the panels on his mask, if only to hide his tears. In a sudden fit of anger, he turned toward the assailant, the guards on top of him parting as he approached. It was apparently a man, but Lelouch couldn't see his face, as there was a white cloth wrapped around it. On this cloth was a crude painting of Zero's mask, as if to portray the symbol while at the same time emphasizing that the wearer was not the original. That angered Lelouch even more. He tore the sheet of the man's face. Secretly, he wished the assailant was someone he knew, perhaps because at least then he could discern some sort of motive. But alas, it was just another random, nameless man. What angered Lelouch even more was that he felt it may be necessary to thank this madman. Despite the pain it caused him, this man had doled **out** a suitable punishment for Lelouch; the punishment he had sought after for so long. As atonement for all his sins, he would be condemned to an eternal life of solitude.

…

Lelouch approached the house, carrying the cold, lifeless body of C.C. Suzaku came rushing out, but said nothing. They simply proceeded to the spot where they had met several days before.

After the incident had ended and Nunnally's safety had been assured, Lelouch finally admitted to her that their reunion couldn't last. He told her he would take C.C. back to Japan, where she belonged, and that they could never see each other again afterwards.

He and Suzaku dug a simple grave for C.C., then simply stood for awhile in silent mourning. Afterwards, they wordlessly switched places and Suzaku departed in the Sutherland he still had parked in the clearing. Lelouch was alone. He had always known C.C. would die before him. That fact was inevitable now that he was immortal and she was not. But he had expected many more happy decades of simply living together with her. He would have been ready when the time finally came for her to go. But this was too much for him. The only fact he could take solace in was that he was finally paying his debts to the world he had destroyed.

He had found his punishment: it was failure. Failure to predict the flaw in the Zero Requiem that would lead to his immortality. Failure to create a truly gentle world. And above all, failure to protect those he loved most dearly. He thought of them now. Euphy. Shirley. C.C. His failure had condemned him to an eternal life of painful solitude.

And failure was sweet, if somewhat bittersweet.

* * *

**Thank you all for reading "Sweet, Sweet Failure." I never imagined it would have as much success as it did. I hope you all enjoyed this last installment, despite its dark nature. Stay tuned, as I may surprise you all with more someday.**


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